Car-coupling.



M. WUBRPEL.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.17,1907.

L127,145 Patented EvehZ, 1915.

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MORRIS WUERPEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ESTINGHOUSE AUTOMATIC AIR t STEAM COUPLER COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORE'RATION OE ILLINOIS.

To aZZ whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Monnrs VVUnRrnL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, ols which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improved lorm of coupler of the type known as the radial draw-bar type comprising a couple of swinging heads arranged to lock together and form a substantially continuous draw-bar between the centers of rotation between the trucks of the ends or" two adjoining cars.

Among the objects of this invention are the construction of radial draw-bar of this general type in which the locking means while symmetrical along the longitudinal lines, will engage laterally so that the device will lock with equal facility regardless oi' the relative angle between the draw-bar and the longitudinal center line of the car and whereby a more stable locking engagement will be secured than heretofore obtained, and by simpler means.

In order that my improvement may be better understood I will proceed to describe it in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l shows a side elevation with one part in section indicating my improved mechanism as applied to such draw-bar; Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section, showing the means of engagement and the form of mechanism within the coupler head, and Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the coupler heads with the locking device and the pivoted locking member in place.

In carrying out my invention I provide in the first instance a couple of coupler heads indicated at l and 5, the same being adapted to have substantially rigid engagement with each other to form practically` a continuous bar, when the locking devices are interlocked. Within these coupler heads there are recesses within which are arranged the pivoted locking members 6 and 7 of the shape substantially indicated in the drawing, having the oliset or engaging faces 8, and the rear curved faces 9, the latter adapted to engage with the curved inner face of the recess in the head along the line indicated at 10, when the two cou- Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Application le. April 1*?, 1907.

CAR-COUPLING.

Patented Feb. 2, i915.

Serial No. 368,694.

pler heads comeV together, there being a locking key or pin ll adapted to drop between the rear face of the pivoted locking member and the inner face of the coupler head recess in the position shown in Fig. 2, when the oilset faces at 8 have come into engagement. lthe pivoted locking members are pivoted at l2, and the locking pins ll are provided with detaching or unlocking levers 13, substantially as shown in Figs. l and 2, there being by preference a spring or other returning device let formed to engage the lock so as to normally hold it in its lower-most position so that the coupling action will be automatic when the pivoted locking member 6 or 7 by the action of the inclined surface 1G comes into engagement with the inclined face on the lower end of the locking device.

The operation of my improvement will be evident from the above description of the construction, as it will be clear that with the pivoted lockingy members in proper position the two bars on approaching each other will cause the pivoted locking members to move by the inclined face 10 upon the inside of the recess in each bar into the position shown in Fig. 2, at which time the locking bars or pins il will drop into place, the pivoted locking members t3 and 7 will be held tightly together, and the offset faces 8 will be in engagement, preventing the two bars from pulling apart until such time as the unlockinglever 13 shall be moved to raise the locking pin 1l out of the plane of the pivoted locking members, when the two bars may ot course be separated.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

ln a car coupler, the combination with a coupler head having means for e'ecting rigid engagement with a counterpart head and provided with a recess having an interior curved lateral face, of a locking pin and a pivotally mounted locking member in said recess provided with an enlargement on the outer end having a face adapted to engage the interior curved tace of the recess of the counterpart head, an opposite face of the enlargement adapted to engage a corresponding :tace of the pivoted locking t member of the counterpart head, in the act signed my name in the presence of the two oi coupling, and a face on the enlargement subscribed Witnesses. inclined to the face on the enlargement which engages the interior curved face in MORRIS WUERPEL 5 the recess for engaging the locking pinV of vitnesses:

the counterpart head in the act of coupling. C. E. MCCARROLL,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto MICHAEL J. SLATTERY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

